by Nate Ryan, USA TODAY Sports

by Nate Ryan, USA TODAY Sports

ROSSBURG, Ohio â?? Before the green flag fell on the second annual Mudsummer Classic, Tony Stewart already was lobbying for the next NASCAR race at his beloved Eldora Speedway.

And he doesn't want to stop with the Camping World Truck Series.

"If this continues to go as well as we hope, there's no reason the other two divisions couldn't possibly come in the future," Stewart said during a news conference Wednesday.

Has he talked to NASCAR about bringing the Nationwide and Sprint Cup series to the 0.5-mile dirt track?

"I haven't yet," he said. "That's why I just threw you the bone and let you plant the seed for me."

The concept has been gathering steam since a wildly successful debut last year with the first dirt race in a national series in more than 42 years. The event, which features five qualifying heats and a 150-lap feature race over three segments, sold out quickly and drew a TV audience of nearly 1.5 million viewers that was the 10th-highest rating in series history.

Eldora general manager Roger Slack said the track will play host to a crowd larger than last year's 18,000 after expanding its hillside seating.

The track also has been a hit with drivers, who have endorsed its layout for producing consistent action. Under Stewart's direction, the track has removed 14 inches off the top lane of banking to widen the groove for this year's race.

Stewart cited the ability to adjust a dirt track to engender better racing as a reason why other NASCAR series could work at Eldora.

"If you can take the trucks and make them work here, the Cup and Nationwide cars aren't a big stretch from that," he said. "It's definitely feasible. It's just a matter of is that something they want to do?

"We're very appreciative and very content if we only run trucks. If the opportunity presents to have a Nationwide or Cup race, I don't think anybody in short-track racing would be able to top that. That would be the ultimate crown and achievement for a short-track promoter to be able to do that and pull it off."

NASCAR's arrival has been a boon to broadening the appeal of Eldora, which opened in 1954. Slack said the track had more than 4,000 new customers at last year's truck race, and only 138 didn't return to an Eldora event in 2014. The track's dirt late model and sprint car showcases enjoyed some of their biggest crowds since Stewart bought Eldora from Earl Baltes in 2004.

"We're back to another giant crowd with more new people, and they're blown away by the atmosphere and experience, too," Slack said. "That's a great thing for Eldora."

Stewart also hailed it as a boost for NASCAR, which has sought ways to rebuild its fan base after some moves (such as expansion outside the southeast and the demise of tracks like Rockingham) were viewed as affronts to tradition that alienated longtime followers.

"This is very important to the sport," Stewart said. "It probably is the best way to tie major NASCAR racing to grass-roots racing. There are people here who haven't been to NASCAR races but come to dirt races. There are people here who have been to NASCAR races but not dirt shows. This is being able to cross pollinate. We've got a lot of big things in mind."

Slack and Stewart unveiled plans to begin building a new permanent infield structure in October. The building would house a media center, hospitality area, restrooms and care center.

NASCAR hasn't announced its schedules for 2015, but Stewart said he received positive feedback from vice president of competition Robin Pemberton and other officials while grilling at the track Tuesday night.

"We sat in lawn chairs until midnight talking, laughing and telling stories, and that's stuff you'd never see us do at a Cup race," Stewart said. "But we're at Eldora. We still have it at this level.

"When we go to Indianapolis (Motor Speedway) this week (for the Brickyard 400), there isn't going to be that. Nobody's going to be sitting around at midnight talking about anything. Everybody will be hemmed up in their buses. That's what makes the truck race here so special and important. It brings that feel to people who haven't been around short-track racing. They don't know it until they come here."